That telling admission by 15-year-old James came as he geared-up to tackle a mountain bike trail in Wisconsin's Chequamegon Forest. He was one of eleven teenagers from the nearby Minneapolis/St. Paul area taking part in an organized weekend outing designed to expand the life experience of inner city and low-income kids.  The ride guides knew the right food would provide the energy they needed to complete the challenge so sandwiches and fruit were on offer. No one anticipated a simple orange could have been so significant, but such surprises are not uncommon on a Trips for Kids adventure.

James' ride was put on by Trips for Kids Twin Cities, one of nearly two dozen TFK chapters across North America. The original TFK was founded in 1988 in Marin County, California, by Marilyn Price, a woman with big dreams for kids, and seemingly boundless energy.  Price molded her hopeful vision into a highly successful program serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Rides are held every week, year round, on local trails, giving hundreds of local teens a taste of life away from the dangerous streets many of them call home.

TFK Marin has grown to include TFK National, which offers support and guidance to existing chapters and reaches out to individuals, often volunteers,  who express an interest in starting new ones. Instructional materials and moral support are available from TFK for those who decide to take the plunge. TFK Marin serves as the model for the other chapters, although each operates as a separate entity, with its own concerns, goals…and character.

One of the first groups to set up a new TFK chapter did so in the high desert community of Shiprock, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation, in December of 1999. The TFK program was an attempt to combine the efforts of a number of groups interested in improving the health and lifestyle of local kids, many of who were at risk for diabetes and/or obesity. Valerie Sandoval, who runs the Shiprock chapter, admits it's a big challenge, especially when it comes to finding enough volunteers to help out on a consistent basis. She's committed to the task, though, of putting more kids on bikes, riding safely with helmets, and building up the community bike shop.

One doesn't usually consider it a good thing when your bike gets stolen…but that wasn't how the folks at TFK Charlotte felt in January 2001. Seven of the program’s bicycles were swiped from a storage locker, sparking a successful effort to raise money for new ones.  Thanks to donations, and a loan from one of the chapter directors, TFK Charlotte took delivery of shiny, new Trek bikes.  By the end of that year the new chapter had chalked up nearly two dozen rides, impressive for year one. The hope for 2002 is to nearly double that number.

"When we went down that first mad hill, and all the butterflies were floating around the grass, I felt like I was one of them." That from one young lady, named Jeannette, taking part in a recent TFK Dunkirk (New York) ride. Director Gary Shain says his program is has done so well since its inception in December 2000 that there is now a waiting list for ride sign-ups. Many participants come from local Boys and Girl Clubs and from Big Brother and Big Sister programs.  He's been pleased to see girls develop their confidence upon realizing that they "don’t melt in the rain."

2001 was a year of tremendous growth for the TFK family, with nine new chapters including the international location, TFK Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada.

In its first summer of operation, TFK Vancouver pressed its fleet of fifteen bikes into action on thirty trips in July and August. Volunteer Director Dana Starritt points out that the local area is blessed with numerous trails through rugged, beautiful, and often challenging terrain. She adds that riding those trails can help develop self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment.

TFK Cottage Hill Academy, located in the rural community of Baldwinville, Massachusetts, in a residential treatment center for disadvantaged teenage girls. Director Jim Powers says he uses the program to pass on to the girls "the thrill of riding on single track, the sense of accomplishment after grinding up a steep hill, and the curiousness of exploring new territory."

The first half of 2002 saw four new TFK chapters come on board, TFK Philadelphia, TFK New River (West Virginia), TFK Central Pennsylvania and TFK Fox Valley (Illinois).  Julie Phillips, at TFK New River, feels that the program will help youth understand "that they are wonderful human beings…capable of great things." TFK Philadelphia's Dave Haberstroh says his team is "committed to making a difference in the lives of all youth."

If TFK's track record is anything to go by, it would seem that all of those goals will be met, if not surpassed. Happy trails.

For more information about Trips for Kids, visit its website at www.tripsforkids.org. If you are interested in starting a chapter or helping fund one in your area, send an email to tfknatl@pacbell.net.